Atlantis
by escapiism
Summary: There's no such thing as fate. (Or, Josh moves to New York, and everything changes.)


okii, so josh is maya's age (finally lol) in this one, moves to new york, and gets up to all sorts of stuff (aka falling in love with cough maya cough) with the gang. (hopefully) slow burn.. and it's set somewhere in season one, idk exactly when, since this is kinda.. canon divergent I guess x'D

 _I'M SORRY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW RIGHT NOW_

* * *

 **summary:** There's no such thing as fate. (Or, Josh moves to New York, and everything changes.) —josh/maya, in denial.

 **insp:** _atlantis_ by seafret.

* * *

 _maybe i'll crash into you_

* * *

With every best friend comes a downside.

It's been her and Riley since day one, but shit happens, the whole freaking world changes and then what's always condemned to happen _happens_ , a lot sooner than later, and it's not so _them_ , but more… anything, anyone _but_ Maya.

But she's fine with it.

Because Maya's good at being best friends with Riley; perhaps it's the only thing she really _is_ good at. Riley, she deserves her happiness—and Maya's great at waiting, too. Sure, she's a firecracker, a blonde with substance and such, but she's good at that whole patient thing, whether it looks like it, or not.

So if Riley really, _really_ likes Lucas, then let her be. And Maya's that supportive friend who'd be the awkward one hiding behind plastic roosters at whatever date at whatever time, and it'd be all back and forth for them with extremely _decisive_ Maya at their tail, at every move, every step, their coach, their couples counsellor with the, um, experience and all. She'd talk some sense into the bastard if necessary and everything would be all happily-ever-after, because it's _Riley_ she's talking about, a fucking fairytale. But Maya wouldn't mind it all, not much, because she loves Riley's smile.

It's that constant urge of having to protect her that sucks, really. It's been two minutes since that glitter and gold and fairy cake phase and now Riley's growing up and falling in love and falling apart and everything it just _sucks_.

It's almost a circle. Operative word: _almost_.

Riley's all starry-eyed and Lucas' all starry-eyed and Farkle's Farkle, and Maya tries so unbearably hard to bury her head in _The Longest Day_ , or whatever they're learning about now. Not that Maya really pays attention, because, well, she's Maya, and trouble and Mr Matthews are too good of a combination to go amiss.

Seven minutes and Riley's still making eyes with Huckleberry, and Maya has to feign a gag to get her to bring herself together. She blushes and smiles an uneasy smile. Lucas is the same.

Typically.

And then she's halfway through page two when it's the first break of silence. It's the usual hubbub, probably, and goes by almost unnoticed—Maya's eyes stay true to the one word she's been studying for the past ten minutes. _Providence, providence, providence_. It's _something_ (or at least it definitely _feels_ like it), but Maya has never been the one to remember things—she got it from her mother, definitely. Forgetting the trivial things, like her daughter's birthday or if she's ran the laundry or not. Small things, small things; and it's nothing like her, um, _father_ , but that's a whole other story.

" _Stupid door._ "

It's _barely_ a sound. And no one else seems to be noticing, but Maya's awake and she looks around. Cory's marking a pile of nothingness, and everyone's (somewhat) working at whatever they should. And then there's Maya—always only Maya.

Then there is a creak. And then a shuffle of steps.

And then Maya catches ( _Goddamn_ she knew it) his eye—and her mouth falls agape. It feels so unnaturally cliche as he looks back—although, it's not; it's not the same.

(It's Josh.

... _Josh_.)

And sure, she's looked at him before (sometimes, _just sometimes_ , when he wasn't looking), and he'd look back with that _very same_ expression. Well, the times he caught on.

(But it's so different now.)

He bites his lip and averts her second gaze. She's still the only person who's seen him, but he looks way too hesitant for himself. But then again, a) uncertainty is Maya's middle name, and b) she hasn't seen the boy for two years… three years now?

And then Maya doesn't know.

 _What the hell is Joshua freaking Matthews doing here?_

But before Maya can even _consider_ making a fool of herself Josh clears his throat and head by head turn—including, finally, Mr Matthews.

Josh clears his throat again, and: "Hey… Mr Matthews."

It's a while until _anyone_ speaks—Maya looks at Riley, who's probably even more bedraggled and confuzzled than her dad. Josh stands awkwardly in front of everyone, holding his bag and a few textbooks.

" _My brother_?" Cory says, completely blankly. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"I have a note," Josh mumbles. "And an email, hopefully."

Cory takes the note, scanning it, before turning back to his brother, still totally frazzled. And Maya suppresses a laugh. "Well, take a seat—" Josh nods. "But we have a lot to talk through at the end, Joshua."

Josh rolls his eyes and all traces of a grin are wiped away from Maya's face as she realises that—well, she only hoped so—there are only two vacant seats in the whole classroom, and the one he's heading to is the one not-so distant from her own—aka the one directly beside her.

He pauses. "Does anyone sit here?"

Maya blinks three times. "Uh—no. All yours."

And he smiles— _he smiles_ —at Maya and she tries so very hard not to laugh and scream and collapse, all at the same time. Riley raises an eyebrow at her.

...So maybe there is an upside.

* * *

"Who is he?" Lucas asks as they're on the way home. Her, Riley, Farkle, and Lucas—same as, same as. Riley bites the inside of her cheek and Maya looks down. They have questions themselves, a lot of them, but they'd no time to get a word in edgeways as class ended and Josh was taken away by Cory. They stay silent.

And Farkle is the first to respond.

"He's Riley's uncle," he quips up.

"Uncle?" Lucas repeats. "He seems kinda young to be an uncle."

"Yeah, he gets that a lot," snorts Maya.

"He's a year older than me," Riley answers plainly. "My, uh, dad's younger brother."

"Oh," Lucas says. "That's cool."

But it isn't, not really. It's just Josh—and she's known (and _kind_ of liked) him since the third grade. He's just Riley's uncle, and he's here now, in New York, for some bizarre, unknown reason that Maya isn't _completely_ against.

They arrive at Riley's in a matter of minutes, a mostly silent vibe amongst them, because there's nothing really to think about. Although Maya's thinking about Josh, as is Farkle, probably, and Lucas is most likely asking himself about the mystery uncle. And Riley's thinking about Lucas, by the way she's looking at him, again, and also about why on earth Josh is roaming her hometown, just like everybody else.

Maya makes for the fridge, followed by Farkle, and Lucas and Riley fall onto the sofa, already having some platonic conversation about shetlands and rainbows.

"Hey, Mrs Matthews?" Maya asks as she sips on her carton of orange juice.

"Sweetie?" she hums in response.

"Did you—"

" _TOPANGA_!"

The door is bust open and in shuffles one Cory Matthews, followed by one Joshua. His head is bent and his hands are shoved up his pockets as he trails behind his older brother through their totally ordinary New York apartment.

"What's wrong, honey?" Topanga smiles. "Tough day?"

Cory's expression is priceless. " _TOUGH DAY_? What am I _supposed_ to do when I hear that my brother is moving in and _everyone_ knew but _me_!?"

Maya catches Josh's eye again—he's laughing, and Maya has to bite so frightfully hard on her lip to stop her from doubling over.

"We thought you'd overreact a bit," Topanga murmurs.

" _OVERREACT_? Me? Overreact?" Cory shakes his head—too many times to count. "What, that is nothing, I _don't_ overreact! How on _earth_ could you ever think _I_ could overreact, because I don't! Me? Overreact? _Never_."

"Yeah, um," Josh starts. "we thought so."

Topanga shoots Josh a look of warning. "Just because I'm sticking up for you, doesn't mean I'm not still disappointed in you, Joshua."

"Why doesn't anyone tell me anything?" pouts Cory.

Then there is silence—figuring out what the hell is going, stopping themselves from bursting out into laughter. Silence is the best option.

"Uncle Josh!" Riley says promptly, causing each and every person in the room to jump. She walks over to Josh in open arms. Maya's almost jealous—not of them, _God,_ no, but Riley being able to do just that, embrace Josh in front everyone without people saying anything weird about her ( _especially_ Riley, who's _far_ too aware of her slightly long-running crush on one particular uncle, mentioning no names, of course). Maya doesn't want anyone else knowing—and _especially_ not _him_. Of course.

"Niece Riley!" he replies with a smile, and the silence is finally overrun with welcomings here, and welcomings there, Cory out of his strop, and even Topanga letting whatever disappointment go with a ruffle of his hair.

And so nothing is deemed weirder than this situation, Maya decides to uplift the mood by acting as Maya acts, because Maya is Maya, and in all Maya-ness she—

" _Gahh_!"

Maya's on his back before she knows it—Riley's giving her this strange, strange look and a little shake of her head. But that's all, aside her best friend, everyone's acting like they normally do when Maya decides to plonk herself on the next person's back. It's the way Maya rolls. Who's to judge?

"Maya," he says, with a grin on his face.

"Josh," is her reply.

"You happen to be on my back."

"Sure am," she smirks.

And then she jumps off his back without a word and looks up into Josh's eyes properly—or at least, the first time since... a long time. Gosh, she hasn't seen the guy in two years and he's changed so much and yet not at all. He definitely looks like a fourteen-year-old, not some pre-teen, but he's the same guy, the same Josh. Just in a totally different way.

"I-it's been a while," Josh says slowly, a little flustered.

"Sure has," Maya smiles.

And then the moment is disrupted, and Lucas speaks—"You're the uncle?"

"Indeed I am," he says.

"You really look way too young to be an uncle."

"Yeah, I get that a lot," he replies. "So who are you again?"

Blind to such rudeness, Lucas seems shaken—until: "Lucas. Uh, Lucas." Maya snorts, earning a look from Riley—and a nudge, a sharp nudge, if she may add. But Maya watches in amusement at the two guys who seem to already hate each other—she loves it.

"What's your deal, man?" Josh asks randomly—he's not looking for a fight, Maya knows this, but she wishes he'd... tone it down. He's only just _met_ Lucas, for goodness' sake, and plus, Lucas is a wholly trustworthy, awesome guy who's just great, just flipping amazing. Josh is also known for rudeness, as far as Maya can remember he's been like her, a sharp tongue and a pair of sharper eyes. He likes to talk before he thinks, just like Maya.

"I don't have a deal," Lucas replies. He's more confused than anything.

"Good," Josh says, biting his lip. Now what was the point in that?

Josh glances at Maya for a moment—and she just about catches his eye simultaneously. And this time, it really is as ever. Cliche, but satisfyingly.

* * *

If he is anything, an idiot isn't one. ...Okay, so it wasn't his initial plan—never was—to get himself kindly asked to leave that wretched high school back in Philly (an aeon ago)—except he's thrilled _beyond belief_ he was. Josh isn't the bad guy, he sees himself as the typical teenager interested in the right things—he's the guy who does his homework on a daily basis, and very rarely lands himself a detention. So to everyone else who knew him, expulsion was pretty much at the rock bottom of their lists—and so it happened, and everyone panicked.

If it was anyone _but_ the Matthews runt of the litter, it'd be passed on as... but Josh is (was) sensible, and what else did he expect from his parents?

Seeing family in two years is a weird feeling, definitely. It's even weirder if it's between that awkward stage (for him, for everyone), between growing up and not, and it doesn't help if he's basically unrecognisable, as opposed to the tween he once was. Right, so he'd seen Cory and Topanga the one time they'd come over to Philly a year back, or so, but everyone else, _everyone else_.

Riley, Farkle, Auggie. Seeing his niece for the first time was great, she'd changed a lot, but he already knew that—and not just through photographs, as much as Josh hated changing, metamorphosis, whatever, _seeing_ her in real life, after he didn't even want to count the years, had... had brought him back to a... less insane world. He doesn't understand his logic, if he has any, but it's a way in which the Matthews are. Confuzzled, lost, and totally out of their minds. So there was Riley, there was Auggie (little guy, missed him too much) and there was Farkle... and also that dude with the dirty-blonde hair and smug look and eyes focused on Riley that Josh isn't so sure he totally likes.

 _And_ then there was Maya.

There was never a photograph with Riley without a Maya, and Josh knew that since age eight, but seeing Maya, one of his closest, oldest friends... it was different to seeing Farkle, and Riley, and he doesn't have a clue why.

Maya was just... Maya.

A friend he hadn't seen in ages.

"Hey, man."

Josh almost drops his carton of milk onto the ground. God, it's him— _it's him_. Once upon another time, he'd have liked this guy, if he'd stopped being so painfully obviously into his little niece.

"I know we got to a little rough start, but you seem cool," he says.

"Great," and Josh bites the inside of his cheek. And a short while passes. "So do you."

Lucas nods. "So, I overheard your brother..." And from then onward Josh knows this Lucas will and never has been a guy of much subtlety. But then again, neither is he. "And, well... You got expelled?"

"Little nosy you are," Josh snaps.

Lucas looks apologetic, but not for the nosiness, not at all.

"...Yes."

"Oh," Lucas says, a little brightly, and although he's known it all along, surprised.

"Why'd you ask?" Josh inquires.

"Because," he starts. "the same happened to me. Came from Texas a few months ago."

"Oh," Josh starts, and he pauses. This comes too unnatural for him. "So I guess we're in the same boat."

"Indeed," Lucas says, and gives him a half-smile.

Lucas then moves away, jerking himself towards the door—"You know," Josh finds himself (shockingly) saying. And although Josh has always been one with observing and such, he's not sure how ten words makes up for everything. But it does. "When I said I thought you were cool, I actually meant it." If Josh is anything, he is _not_ a liar. "Hey, maybe I'll be able to like you."

And Lucas laughs as he leaves the house.

Josh sighs, heading back to normalcy—he aims the empty carton to the rubbish bin by the counter and closes his eyes in utter annoyance that this is what his life is. Get expelled, move to New York, live with your brother and your niece and your nephew and have your world ruled by school and essays and crap and all that shit that piles on you and kisses you goodbye.

He loves it, he really fucking adores it.

* * *

 _aaaaaand_ as you can see i rushed the ending. the first part was flowing and then i got to this one part and all i did was stare and stare at my screen. this chapter is all very cliche, like _seriously_ cliche, but i hope it's bearable. it's currently midnight and i really really hope i have the will to update soon (and i hope that one i'm in a sane state of mind lol). i've got half a chapter down, but writer's block is a pain in the ass.

and i've also made riley extremely clingy and all only for lucas in this, reading over, but let me get this straight, that is not the riley in this story. i assure you, no more extreme clinginess, hope you all can forgive me for my ooc writing x'D

 **thank you for reading :)**

* * *

 **a few words from half-written chapter two:**

 _"Wait, so I can actually use the pencil?"_


End file.
